Last week, I talked about my journey with anorexia nervosa. Today, I’m going to dive into the 3 main types of eating disorders and give you some facts, statistics and things to look out for in case you have an eating disorder or know someone who does.

Eating disorders are all really about control. It’s also about feeling anxiety, loneliness and depression. Food becomes a source of comfort and it’s always there. Once you have an eating disorder, you’ll always have it.

I am doing a 3-part series on this topic because I know that it is super important. I want people to be aware of it and be able to help themselves or people who they know who have these disorders.

 

[06:50] The hardest part of recovery is when the symptoms aren’t active because everyone in the outside world thinks you’re okay but inside that’s not how it feels.

[10:31] A lot of people who suffer with eating disorders don’t ever get help or they die before they get help.

[11:45] 30 million people of all ages and gender suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. Once every 62 minutes, 1 person dies because of an eating disorder.

[12:42] Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate out of any eating disorder. Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder also have high mortality rates. Suicide is a very common thing that can happen with an eating disorder.

[12:46] 13% of women over age 50 engage in eating disorder behavior.

[16:58] 5.5% of women and 4% of men in the military have an eating disorder.

[20:40] 1 in 5 people with anorexia will die of suicide.

[26:09] 50% of people who have an eating disorder usually have other psychological diagnosis.

[28:33] DSM 5 says that for Anorexia is #1 you need to have the restriction of energy intake leading to signifcant low body weight and the context of age, sex, developmental history and physical health. Significantly low weight is defined as weight that is less than minimally normal for children and adolescents and less than is minimally expected.

[33:50] #2 criteria is the intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain even though their body weight is low.

[36:04] #3 criteria is the disturbance in the way one's body shape is experienced and undue influence of body weight or shape in their self evaluation and the lack of recognition or seriousness of the current low body weight.

[41:21] Anorexia can be the restricting type or the binge-purge type.

[43:00] Bulimia Nervosa definition in the DSM 5 is you have to have both of the following: 1) eating in a discrete period of time within usually a 2 hour period an amount of food that is larger than what most individuals would eat in a similar period of time under the same circumstances. 2) this is followed by a lack of control during the episode and compensatory behavior to prevent weight gain.

[50:09] Bulimia is more common than anorexia.

[51:39] Bulimia usually has a comorbid disorder. There’s a higher rate of people with bulimia with substance abuse disorder, mostly alcohol.

[53:35] Binge Eating Disorder in the DSM 5 is eating a discrete period of time in any 2 hour period as an example amount of food that’s definitely larger than what most people would eat in one period of time under similar circumstances. There’s a lack of control in the eating or how much one is eating.

Links:

When food is love by Geneen Roth

 

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